The CCR's are actually pretty light, only about 42 pounds fully loaded. Compared to the doubles I'm diving which are about 100 pounds fully loaded they are very light

CCR must be crazy. How much those things weight?

I want to get to the point where I can take my friends out with me without relying on an instructor being with me.

I am from New York. With only 16 dives, I doubt you can call me a diver. We have a quarry here (Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA). Plus local dive sites in Atlantic are nearby, about 20 minute drive. There's a good site in Long Island, in Montauk. But that's a hell of a drive. The reason I don't dive much is due to the gear. I still need to buy BCD, wetsuit. I have a used reg set, but I need new set of gauges and to do an annual on the set. Thing is, I don't know where to send the damn thing. It's a ScubaPro set, and my LDS already treats me like an enemy because I spent $250 on reg and Air2 instead of $800 with them on reg alone.

So yea, once my friend starts diving and I get more gear, it would be more or less acceptable for me. I'd be fine without wetsuit in some dive sites (max depth is 25') but I am still saving for half-decent BCD. Shop only has ScubaPro Knighthawk, for $605 and I am not paying that much.

I actually took wreck diving course figuring that confined environment needs a bit more attention, and is not something I should be picking up from instructors. And my LDS said that they want me to take Deep Diver course in order to do wrecks. Idea is that most wrecks in the area are at least 60' deep. There's a radar station, about 250' down which I would LOVE to see, but I am not anywhere up to the level of expertise required for it.

My certs are from SSI. At least they want you to know tables. I recently stopped by a TDI/SDI shop who said that they don't teach tables, and you must have a computer. So one malfunction sends you back to the boat for next 24 hours.

It's a great sport. The best advice I can give over the internet is remember that it is a sport, not a hobby. The only way you can ever be good at a sport is to practice as much as possible, read up on the technical aspects as much as you can, and learn as much as you can about the science behind it. Take advice from your instructors, but make sure you do your own research and back up what they have told you with info from other sources. Just because someone told you something doesn't mean its correct, a lot of instructors don't have a lot of years/experience behind them and they don't always know what they are talking about.

What part of the country are you from? I'm up in New Hampshire but travel up and down the east coast for diving.

--John

Figured I would pull the diving talk out of the forums... I've been diving for about 3 and a half years now but I've been in the water 'bout once a week minimum, actually about 100 dives a year. I never took any of the random little courses like nav and wreck, a lot of that stuff is better learned as you go (in my opinion.) Which training agency are you going through? I'm certified through PADI, NAUI, TDI/SDI, NSS-CDS and IANTD. My full training record is OW, AOW, Rescue, Nitrox, Intro to Tech, Adv. EANx, Heliotrox, Deco Procedures, and Full Cave. Up next is CCR and eventually CCR Trimix.

(theres another paragraph but it said its too long so I'll have to send it as two... FYI the second paragraph is a little preachy -)